Tag Archives: Time

Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) programs are a common starting point for many systems related to the focus on an athlete centred approach to training. LTAD programs generally look at a longer-term approach to the development of the athlete so there is more consistency across a range of areas such as technical, tactical, physiological, and psychological development. With this mindset however, there are some problems that are commonly faced by programs and organisations wishing to implement this strategy.

With a longer commitment to development there also needs to be a greater amount of resources available over a longer term. This seems obvious, but asking coaches, administrators, parents, and athletes to make this commitment can be a significant drain of energy and goodwill. Both of which are vital to a programs ongoing success and standing within the sporting community.

Planning

The off the court planning is just as important as what happens on court with an LTAD program. Taking time and energy to develop and refine a program leads to better decisions and outcomes for everyone involved. Planning though can be overlooked and corners cut in mapping the different stages of development as well as other aspects of a LTAD such as athlete/coach inductions, fitness testing and individualised program plans.

Record Keeping

LTAD requires an approach that has athletes constantly being worked towards the next level in their development. This requires an accurate picture to be taken about what each individual’s current level is, how fast they are progressing and what they are deficient/competent in. This information needs to be compiled and recorded so it can be easily reference and analysed. Unfortunately, some programs see this side of their sports management as not being important, which ultimately has an adverse effect on the athlete’s progression. With poor records, come poor decisions in regards to LTAD.

Within the philosophy of LTAD is the focus on injured players recovering and becoming stronger then what they were before so they never experience the same injury again (Photo Source: jmrosenfeld)

Injury Management

Injuries or the risk of them, are a constant for athletes. Nevertheless, when an athletes does have an injury often the management of that situation is vital in returning a players as quickly as safe to do so and also limiting the exposure to further problems into the future as a result of a reoccurring weakness.

Within a LTAD program this long-term view is a given, but having access to the right professionals and allied health services is only the initial starting point. Access is a basic characteristic of any program, but within the LTAD philosophy this recovery period needs to be managed more specifically so the player’s ongoing treatment and recovery, as well as strengthening later on as a preventative measure will be planned for and managed. In many programs once the acute aspects of an injury have been overcome, often the athletes is left to make their own way back to full health. This is not the case with an LTAD program and management should be a partnership between the athletes and the programs staff over a longer period.

Coaching Staff

Because of the time commitments over a greater length of time it is often thought that coaches will simply make the longer commitment. This however might be the case initially, but with time will come distractions or changes in personal circumstance.

Not only should a program have the most experienced coaches involved as needed, but underpinning these individuals will need to be the next wave of possible program coaches forming part of a succession plan. These coaches will then fill gaps created and continue the line of development for the players within the program that is a strength of the LTAD program. This type of strategy promotes a program culture, definable identity, and consistent feel to the program.

Mentors

Program mentors are more than just the head of the program or the lead coach. They help motivate the players, coaches, parents and other individuals involved in LTAD. Young and old, players will lose their focus from time to time. If there is not follow-up with these individuals, one missed practice might turn into two, and that number might gradually grow until the distance from the programs is so great that the individual in question no longer sees the value of the time and effort put in.

A mentor will follow up with a player each, and every week. If a player misses a training session this contact time will need to be shortened so the athletes knows they have value within the program. Coaches and others involved within the program should all be treated the same as this promotes solidarity with the group supporting the LTAD program.

Time

The final resource that needs to be provided to a LTAD program is time. The influence of time on a program comes in many different shapes and sizes. Athlete development within different stages might be slow and take longer than expected. This is all part of the give and take of a LTAD program, as at other periods the development may become accelerated.

Time will also need to be a key ingredient in the very early stages of an athlete’s physiological development. Tuning an athlete’s body into a capable tool to meet the demands of a sport can be a lengthy process, but one that will be beneficial in the areas of injury prevention and the components of fitness specific to a sport.

LTAD is a fantastic concept that provides a pathway for players to follow in their own development through their chosen sport. Problems discussed above though can limit the potential benefits of LTAD to each individual.

The Weak Hand Dribbling Drill looks to promote players confidence with their non-dominant hand. Basketball is a sport where players will need to develop their skills to overcome challenges posed by defences and playing in a sports environment that is three hundred and sixty degrees. To be successful at this a player must develop the ability for them to use both their left and right hands autonomously. Otherwise, they will run the risk of never being able to fully reach their individual potential. The Weak Hand Dribbling Drill looks to not only promote the use of the non-dominate hand, but also apply some pressure that can be a challenge in itself for players to deal with.

The Weak Hand Dribbling Drill starts out with players needing to be broken into groups of three. Players should be grouped depending on their non-dominant hand (left or right) and playing positions (Guards and Forwards). A coach will need to be mindful when placing athletes who maybe have well developed dribbling skills or speed as these players might need to be moved between groups to ensure a challenge for all involved.

The Weak Hand Dribbling Drill utilises the whole court so working in groups of three is useful in keeping more players moving then just standing around waiting for their turn as well. This drill works best over two courts when using in a team situation due to the amount of time spent on the court to rest ratio.

Weak Hand Dribbling Drill Diagram 1

The group of three players start lined up on the baseline. One (1) starts needing only one foot touching the baseline. When the Coach calls out go a stopwatch is started and One (1) starts to dribble at the first cone. One (1) will dribble around the first cone and head towards the opposite end of the floor performing a lay-up with their weak hand (in the diagram above this is the left hand variation shown).

Once One (1) has reached the first cone Two (2) will then commence their dribble around the cone and to the opposite end of the floor.

Once Two (2) reaches the first cone Three (3) will then start their dribble.

Once making the lay-up One (1) will continue on the opposite side of the floor repeating the movement.

A complete rotation of the floor (up and back) is repeated three times with the player aiming to make six lay-ups (three circuits) in under thirty-five seconds.

By having multiple players on the floor, the whole aim of the drill is to not only beat the clock, but also catch the person in front of you. Those players who are able to catch the person in front of them continue with the drill and try to run down the person ahead of them again or just try to finish in their best possible time. In the next repetition of the drill, these players who successful chased down one of their team mates will start in the first position.

The second dribbler should finish in under thirty eight seconds. With the third dribbler finishing in under forty-one seconds. These times are based on the one stopwatch being used and started when the first person commences the Weak Hand Dribbling Drill. If three stopwatches can be utilised then individual times can be recorded.

For those players running down others within the Weak Hand Dribbling Drill part of the reason for them moving to the front of the line is so they then start to compete against their personal best times instead of focusing on just competing against others.

Points of Emphasis

Players must maintain vision of the court at all times; watching the ball or looking at the floor only serves to limit the rate at which players will develop their weaker hand

Players must control the ball and keep the ball within their cylinder so they gain maximum effect from the activity; when dribbling the ball it should be kept at around hip height so players learn to control the ball and maintain contact

Players are allowed one dribble and two steps inside the three-point line when performing a lay-up; technique is still important as is making all uncontested lay-ups

Variations

A time only based variation of this drill can be found utilised by Rick Pitino in the Five-Star Basketball Drills book that sets the Weak Hand Dribbling Drill as a single person endeavour with only one person involved within the activity at one time. In this variation, the dribbler simply has to perform the same circuit in under thirty-five seconds by performing six lay-ups. This activity might be suitable initially for player development and especially for younger athletes when first developing this skill.

The Weak Hand Dribbling Drill is about developing the weaker hand of each individual basketball player. The focus on performing a lay-up is a very prudent activity as if teams know a player is weaker in one particular side of their dribbling they can sometimes overload the strong dribbling side so much that they then create an open driving lane when using the weak hand. In some cases, this can be so extensive that players have open lay-ups as a result.

Talent within any program is always a point of focus. Whether it is through recruiting the right pieces of the puzzle or developing those that talent within a program that already exist. No program can afford not to have talented athletes within their ranks and expect to have lasting success. Recruiting is seen by many people as the easy way out for programs with significant resources, they can just buy in the required skill sets missing. However, for those programs not rich in these resources then development is the only option. The irony is though, if a program is successful through implementing a policy of development, it will find that players, coaches, officials and administrators all gravitate to its door so they too can be part of the success.

Harnessing talent to create a pipeline through a program’s various facets is not an easy task. There are a number of different and very specific elements that need to all be put into place for the development cycle to take hold and then continue to enrich the players that move through its process.

In the beginning focus on the quality of the talent being developed within a program, not the quantity. Employing this philosophy will lead the program building and having lasting legacy of success (Photo Source: Dave Gillem)

Philosophy

Before anything else can be developed there must be a defining of the purpose of the program. This involves describing the desired outcomes and the strategies put in place to achieve these. Adding details to the technical, tactical, physiological, and psychological standards that are wanted within the program and bench marked for ongoing development is vital.

Involved in the description of the philosophy of a program will be interwoven planning around how the program is to be conducted, resources available and overall guidelines (budget, facilities, age groups, competitions, etc.) on how the program will operate.

Getting the philosophy around the purpose of a program and how talent is to be shaped and developed is very important right from the start. While not set in stone, things can always be changed, but the variation in philosophy is one of the reasons people often leave programs or the good progress stalls. This can cause conflict and end up pulling a program apart. Commitment to a philosophy while undertaking evolution, rather and revolution, is important vision to developing the right culture for an evergreen program.

Coaching

The most influential parts of developing talent is found within the cornerstone of coaching. Having knowledgeable coaches within a program allow every player to advance.

Another aspect of coaching will be to have the right number of coaches to meet the needs of a program. While most programs will if their honest, state they will never have enough coaches, usually they can get by as long as everyone is pulling in the same direction.

A point of confusion when discussing coaching is that the coaches all have to be of the highest level. This is not the case. While having experience is very important, it is not the exclusive quality that a program requires of its coaches to be successful. Other attributes associated with a programs collective coaching ranks include consistency in philosophy, commitment to the development theme and a willingness to commit time to the process. These attributes can be found in an individual, but can exist and still provide benefit when shared amongst the core group of coaches within a program. An inexperienced or apprentice coach should not be seen as a weakness within a program, but an opportunity to harness energy and intensity to help spur on the talent development. When partnered with a mentor, a junior coach can make significant gains because of their willingness to learn and adapt.

Facilities

A key point will be looking at the facilities currently available to a program. From this point, additional needs be identified and addressed. In some cases where there is a shortage of space for trainings there might a need for two teams to share a court, or for a team to have one training session inside and another outside so every team is able to train at least once a week indoors.

Not having access to good or facilities of standard is not the end to the development of talent. What is does mean is the coaches working within this system must be flexible and adaptive in finding ways around this problem. Changing training times to suit court availability, travelling to suitable venues, fundraising for equipment are all some of the strategies which may need to be employed.

Support Services

Gone are the times of sport being purely focused on the court. Now with advancements in sports sciences, medicine and psychology there are numerous support services which play a part in the development and maintenance of talent. To help develop talent there must be a rounded approach as stated earlier to not only sports specific skills such as technical and tactical, but also the development of the physiological and psychological aspects of the player.

Spreading the load across aspects and varying athlete contact across these services also help engage and keep players focused on achieving their goals more readily. Consistent messages delivered from multiple sources help authentic the importance of the development process to the talented individual.

A talent pipeline is not a given just because all the pieces fit together neatly. Time will still need to be given for players to develop and a program to take hold within the sporting community and the programs individual context. Developing talent requires not just success, but successive successes that when added together lead to a good culture for a program, and good habits for an athlete. Overnight success is never overnight, and many successful programs that we can all see around us have usually been developed through the lifelong commitment of various individuals. Individuals that came in early and left late for years and years…

A Tournament can be one of the more challenging activities a team has to face throughout a season. A tournament can pose a special group of challenges to players, coaches, and support staff. Many of these issues are not always easily anticipated, and will only become evident when the problem is upon the team if the people involved in management are not experienced. For an inexperienced tournament play team, the secret to success lies in preparation and seeking advice. For the experienced team it will come down to processes, checks and balances put in place to minimise the chances of a mistake happening.

Travelling by bus can be good fun with the right team (Photo Source: Renato)

One of the most troublesome areas in regards to playing in a tournament is getting there. If travelling a great distance to the location of the tournament then there will be a couple of options to consider. The three primary options for travelling to a tournament are by plane, coach/car or for younger players their parents might be responsible for providing the most significant transport leg for each team member. Which option is chosen will be based upon a number of factors, but probably the most significant will be the cost and time available. While travelling by coach can be a very cost effective form of transport. It can be up to five times slower than a place for short distances (for example a three-hour plane ride).

While the cost maybe right in favour of a coach over a plane, the consideration needs to be given to the amount of recovery time players will need following a long bus trip. Often this will extend the down time further associated with a long an arduous bus trip.

Missing a plane is a very common issue for players, coaches and support staff alike (Photo Source: Digo_Souza)

No matter the transport method finally chosen by the team, a crucial point will be the time of departure and communicating this with the group. Information needs to be provided to parents of younger players well in advance. This is also the case for older players, but a common mistake made by new Team Managers with junior teams is providing the information to the players rather than directly to the parents who will be paying and facilitating the player’s participation in the tournament. It would not be excessive to provide information to all parties involved in the tournament up to six months ahead of time. This will allow for the gradual payment of costs associated with the tournament over a greater period of time.

When playing in a tournament featuring multiple games over a short period of time. It is always best practice to arrive at least on the day prior to the event. If the location has some inherent challenges such as significant change in temperature to that which the team is accustom to or at a higher altitude then arriving well ahead of time will be a valuable option to have. Another common problem often faced by teams is if the tournament happens to be in a different time zone to which they are used to. This can be often overlooked if only a few hours but this will still have an impact on an individual’s ease of falling to sleep or waking up.

Once at the location however then next concern in regards to logistics will be moving around the geographical area featuring the tournament. It is not unusual for small towns to host events such as sports tournaments together to help provide the required supply of facilities and resources. Being aware of the various travel requirements needed while on location will also feature as a key point. Often providing only a coach will not be practical for scouting and general errands while having multiple vehicles will also provide its own challenges.

No matter the level of team, the challenges can be great in organising the logistics for a team. Knowing what resources are available will be vital in determining how to use these items and gain the best advantage in the process. Start by speaking with experienced Team Managers or Sports Administrators within the club, association or college.

The 2-2-1 Full Court Zone Press is a very commonly used trapping system. When compared to the trapping formations of a 1-2-1-1 or a 1-2-2 the 2-2-1 Full Court Zone Press has a slightly different player rotation that is involved in the trap. This helps provide a different look for the offense to play with.

The 2-2-1 Full Court Zone Press looks to stall the offenses progress of the ball by filling up the backcourt with players stifling the ability to pass out of this area with short sharp passing. This can be a very effective tactic in junior leagues where players are just not that physically capable of making longer passes over the defence and breaking the press.

For senior teams the players will be required to be more active in covering short passing options to try to limit the offense in its movement down the floor.

2-2-1 Full Court Zone Press Diagram 1

The shaded areas represent the preferred trapping areas of the 2-2-1 Full Court Zone Press. These can vary however, depending on the principles used. In some cases, these trapping areas could also be extended further up or down the sideline.

When the ball is in the middle of the floor the 2-2-1 Full Court Zone Press looks to just stall the offense’s ball movement and keep the 2-2-1 formation as intact as possible.

As a point of note it would not be unusual for the Five (5) player to also sink further down the court towards the keyway depending on where the furthest offensive player was.

2-2-1 Full Court Zone Press Diagram 2

The trapping situation within the 2-2-1 Full Court Zone Press is slightly different as highlighted earlier. In this tapping formation, it is the two players to the side that are involved in the trap. This is of course different to many other trapping formations.

The initial principle of the 2-2-1 Full Court Zone Press is to force offensive players away from dribbling down the middle lane of the floor in preference to being channelled down the sideline. As the offensive player passes by the foul line extended, then the trap can happen anywhere along this sideline.

One (1) and Three (3) in the diagram form the initial trap. Three (3) must ensure the offensive player cannot continue to move down the sideline or crossover dribble and split the two defenders. One (1) on the other hand, stops progress back to the middle of the floor.

Both defenders involved in the trap (One and Three) must learn to play defence with their feet and only allow brief contact with their chest when directly in front of the offensive player. Any other technique will result in a number of unwanted fouls and hurt the team.

As the trap is being initiated the off the ball defenders should be moving into positions which deny passing options close to the ball handler.

Two (2) fills passing targets back towards the middle of the floor.

Four (4) covers all passes across court. This is a pivotal position as many offense will look to breakdown the 2-2-1 Full Court Zone Press through this area of the floor.

Five (5) denies passes down the strong side sideline.

2-2-1 Full Court Zone Press Diagram 3

Remember that in most competitions an offensive player cannot hold the ball for longer than a count of five once the defence has forced the pick-up of the ball. For this reason, the players off the ball must be committed to denying close passing options.

If defenders find offensive players moving from one area to another, there must be adequate communication and player exchange to limit these players as passing targets.

It is a common tactic for offensive teams to use long cuts across multiple zone areas to force defenders to rotate and lose the ability to guard close passing targets.

2-2-1 Full Court Zone Press Diagram 4

On the reversal of the ball, the 2-2-1 Full Court Zone Press is not used to deny this option but rather re-set the formation.

If the ball is passed back to the inbounder or back behind the line of the ball, then defenders simply rotate back into the 2-2-1 formation as quickly as possible.

Keep in mind the 2-2-1 Full Court Zone Press is about just as much about stalling the play as trapping a player. Eight seconds can burn up very quickly against this type of defence and players must be aware of what the ultimate purpose is to the defence.

Not every offensive possession has to finish in a steal. An expired backcourt count or reduction in shot clock is sometimes enough especially if able to be reproduced constantly within a game.

The time it takes for players to develop the patience and composure to run the 2-2-1 Full Court Zone Press can be lengthy. So plenty of opportunities must be given to practice in 5 v 5 situations during training session situations prior to its use in games.